Keylogger
Malware that secretly records every keystroke, capturing passwords and seed phrases as you type them.
A keylogger logs what you type and ships it to an attacker—usually software, sometimes a hardware dongle. For crypto holders the prize is a seed phrase or exchange password entered on an infected machine. The theft is silent; you notice only when the funds move.
Most arrive bundled with pirated software or hidden in malicious attachments. A hardware wallet blunts the damage because it signs transactions offline, so the private key never reaches the keyboard. Better still, never type a seed phrase into any internet-connected device.
Related terms
The secret number that proves ownership of crypto and authorizes spending it; whoever holds it controls the funds.
Seed PhraseA list of 12 or 24 ordinary words that backs up a wallet and can restore all its keys.
Social EngineeringManipulating people rather than code, tricking them into handing over keys, codes, or access.
Wallet DrainerMalicious code that empties a wallet in one approval after tricking the owner into signing it.